IRENE

Leija's Story

It is with great pleasure that I’m able to bring to you something as special as Cat’s Meow Grooming Spa & Boutique. This is a spa designed exclusively for your amazing and often misunderstood little feline companions.

I am a native of Chicago, Illinois, but have had the privilege of living in Marin County for the past 7 years. I was previously in management at PricewaterhouseCoopers and then went on to run a successful IT business for several years. After selling my business in 2009, I decided to take a much needed break to spend quality time with my 6 pets (2 beautiful dogs, 2 really funny cats, and 2 very feisty birds). During this time, I began exploring the idea of opening up an exclusive pet care business. This eventually became a dream with a purpose.

While I sincerely love and appreciate all animals, it’s always been my feeling that cats were under-served on so many levels. Whether it is products, education, grooming, lodging, or behavior, there is just no comparison to what is out there for dogs, or birds for that matter. One of my goals is to change that for anyone who loves cats, enjoys spoiling them, caring for them, and is interested in learning about them and their quality of life and longevity.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet and spend time with some very talented professional cat experts within the industry that came with years of experience in feline behavior and grooming. It was their thoughtful and gentle approach to grooming cats that motivated me to want to even try grooming my first cat. Once I did that, I was simply hooked.

Studying under such skilled and warm-hearted cat groomers taught me how to use tender, yet very effective techniques to groom my own cats. Their methods were so successful that I simply wanted to learn more. I very quickly realized just how crucial gentle grooming was to a cat’s safety and health. And by taking this gentle approach and combining it with an environment that was calm, relaxed and even soothing, my intent materialized into creating a spa solely for cats. If we could remove as many of the scary factors that create a nervous cat, the experience would be much less stressful for them, grow into more effective grooming appointments, and be much more enjoyable for the groomer, as well.

Much to my surprise, nowhere in the country or world did this healthier approach to cat grooming, encompassed with a tranquil spa environment, truly exist. Suddenly, my mission became very clear, and that was to join forces with educated and mindful cat experts, so that I could create something important for cats, which has been long overdue.

My dear cat lovers, welcome to Cat’s Meow Grooming Spa & Shop. I hope your experience with us is as special for you as it is for us.